Rail joint



March 10, 1931.

v. c. ARMSTRONG Vi'c'lor 0. flrnwiro March 10, 1931.; v v. c. ARMSTRONG 1,796,230

Filed July 1.9 1 9 3 0 2 S h e e t s S h e e t 2 Jvwmtoz R Vic for C'- fl W as; 5?]. I 1.2 a a Patented Mar. 10, 1931 IT D STATES PATENT OFFICE VIO'IOR G. ARMSTRONG, 'OFHA'CKENSACK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL .J'OINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

Av CORPORATION OF NEW YORK RAIL JOINT Application filed .Tul'y 19,

tions of service while at the same time permitting of the properadjustment or take-up forwear. A

"One of the objects of the invention is to provide a joint bar having no rail web or rail flange contact at the center of the joint but having engagement with the underside I of the rail head as well as contact with the head and base fillets of the rail at the center. That is to say, a bar constructed in accordance with the present invention has its central portion formed to fit the underside of the rail head and both the head and base fillets of the rail while the underside of the foot flange of the bar clears the foot flange of the rail at the. center of the joint, and the ends of the bar have clearance from the underside of the rail head but contact with the upper side of the base flange of the rail.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a joint bar having a loading engagement not only with the head and base fillets of the rail at the center of the joint, but also a full bearing engagement with the underside of the rail head while the web of the 13 bar stands entirely free from the web of the rail and the ends of the bar may be placed under tension under pressure of the joint bolts to maintain the loading engagement referred to effective under all track condi- 1 tions. Also, due to the fact that the central part of the bar has engagement with the underside of the rail head while the corresponding central portionon the lower face of the bar is free of the foot flange, but the ends x40 of the bar bear against the inclined upper surfaces of the rail flange, a maximum clamp ing force is exerted against the head fillet of the rail and the underside of the rail head. Another object of the invention is to provide a joint bar having the general characteristics referred to which may be readily rolled in accordance with standard rolling mill practice and which is of substantially uniform section at its medial portion but of Y reduced cross-sectional area at its ends.

1930. 'Serial No. 469,093.

With the above and'other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, com- I bin'ation and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bar'embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a vertical half-sectional view taken on the line'22 of Fig. 1.-

Figure 3 is a vertical half-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

According to the embodiment of'the invention shown in the accompanying drawings the rails R and R are connected by a pair of siinilarjoint bars A provided with the bolt holes 1 for receiving the usual joint bolts, not shown. Each oint bar A is preferably of the type conforming tostanda-rd joint bar. practice wherein the web 2 of the bar stands outwardly from the web of the rail thus being entirely free from rail web contact throughout the joint. 7

Referring to the particular features and characteristics of the joint bar A it will be observed that the head 3 of the bar is provided at its central portion with a rail head contacting surface 4 which engages the undersi'des of the heads of the rails R and R and extends beyond the inner bolt holes 1, 1. Also, the head 3 of the baris provided with a head fillet contacting portion -'5 for engaging with the head fillet 6 of the rails, the said portion 5 being coeXtensive'wi'th the rail head contacting surface 4 of the bar at the center thereof. The foot 7 is provided at the central portion thereof withabase fillet bearing rib '8 'for'engagin'g with the base fillet 9 of the rail and the underside of the ffdbt "flange 7 is formed with the clearance 10 which v thereof are vformed'as'indicated atet -an'd 5 so as to avoid contact With the underside of .surfaces11 of the rail bases 12. The-inner the rail head and With' the head fillet'6' of the rails. On the other hand, thefoot 7 of the rail, at the ends thereof, is formed with the rail base flange engaging surfaces 7 for engaging directly with the upper inclined rib portion 8 at the foot of the bar is also formed tohave clearance from the base fillet 9 of the rail.

When the oint barsare applied to the rails the central portions thereof will have a loading engagement with both the underside of the rail head and the upper and lower'flllets G and 9,,thus firmly clamping and aligning the rail ends at the center of the jpint. This engagement is effectively. maintalned underbolt pressure due to the resiliency in the ends ofthebar which are free of any contact with the underside of the rail head and the upper the rail, the under medial surface of said bar having clearance from the upper side of the rail'flange, and the ends of the bar being formed for contactwith the base flange of the rail and for clearance from the base fillet of the rail;

3. A'rail jointbar formed for clearance from the rail Web and having its medial portion formed for contact with the underside of the rail head and thehead andbase fillets of the rail, said bar also being formed for medial clearance from the rail flange and for end contact With the rail flange and end clearance from the head and base fillets of the rail v a 1 p 4 In a railrjoint,therail, and a joint bar having endclearance from the head and the 'Web vof thelrail, end 'contact'with therail flange, medial headcontact with the rail, and medial vclearance from the; rail flange.

v 5,. In a rail joint, the rail, and ajoint bar having medial clearance from the Webof the rail and fromthe rail flange, end clearance from the headand the Webof the rail, and end contact with the rail flange. I I 7 In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature,

VICTOR A MST QNG rail filletbut have afsliding engaging. With a the upper inclined sides 11 of the base flanges 12 of the rail, With this construction the flcentral portionof, the bar has a full loading engagement with the entire undersides of the railheads, and as ear occurs the tightening ofthe bolts Will eflectually causetheends of the bar to ride up the inclined'upper surfaces of the rail bases and'thus not only maintain the full head fishing engagement of the bar ith the rail, but Will also maintain proper clamping engagement between the'center of f the bar and the base I fillet of the rail.

. y reason of the fact that the entire bar has web clearance adjustment for Wear may be readily and properly taken care of by the tightening of the joint'bolts.

I claim':;

1. In a rail joint, the rail, and a joint bar having medial contact With the undersideof the rail-head and the upper andlower base fillets of the rail and clearance from the base flange of the rail, the ends ofsaid bar having clearance from the head of the rail and engagement with the baseflange of the rail.

2. In a rail joint, the rail, and a joint bar V I I having its Web portion spaced fromvthe rail -Web and provided medially With a head portion formed for contact With the underside 'o'f'the rail xheadyandfwith' the upper-head 1 fillet of the rail, the head of the barjat the ends thereof having clearance from the rail, the foot of-the .bar being formedwith a medial rib for engaging the base fillet of 

